Under The Lion's Careful Eye
by Tigercry
Summary: Lionblaze never meant those fateful words, the promise squeezed out of him when a furious father shouted at him while she begged him not to agree with tearful blue eyes. Yet he had, he had promised her father. He had promised her father he'd stay away from her... But he couldn't. He couldn't, not when she's in that much pain.


_**I cannot believe I didn't know this was a cliche XD But I couldn't resist doing it for my Warriors OTP Cinderblaze! (Cinderheart x Lionblaze) As humans of course, as it is my practical standard by now :P**_

_**(Written back in March)**_

* * *

Lionblaze never meant those fateful words, the promise squeezed out of him when a furious father shouted at him while she begged him not to agree with tearful blue eyes. Yet he had, he had promised her father.

So now he simply watched Cinderheart from across the loud and rambunctious cafeteria in the center of the room with the rest of his football team. He wasn't allowed to greet her, say a single world to her directly, walk together to classes, and they were definitely not allowed to touch. If they did any of those things they would be in big trouble with more than just her father. Hence why Lionblaze silently watched her from a distance, keeping a careful eye on the object of his forbidden affections from across the room.

She looked relatively healthy, a little pale today, and tired judging by the way her shoulders had lost their usual confident positioning and were slumped forward. Her clothing choice made her more beautiful than ever, a loose hoodie and loose jeans with converse shoes, and her long black hair silky smooth to the touch was pulled up into a messy ponytail. If her father saw her today he would freak and take her home to change into more appropriate for school clothes, and yet Lionblaze thought nothing suited her better than simple laid back clothes.

"Lionblaze," someone prodded the blonde but he smacked their hand away and grumbled something about leaving him alone. They obliged and Lionblaze kept his gaze on Cinderheart.

To anybody else sitting where he was she would've looked like your everyday tired teenage girl, as normal as she could be. Until the illusion would've shattered when she leaned uncomfortably back on the bench she was sitting at, her hands instinctively resting on her stomach.

Lionblaze felt a painful urge to go over to her and ask her if she was okay, if she needed anything. If he could hug her and make whatever was bothering her go away, but as quickly as it came, it left with only a vaguely stinging pain. If it was just her he could've stayed away completely, but it wasn't. It wasn't just her.

He had been so nervous and scared when she had told him, her face had been bright red and she had stuttered every other word, having completely lost her confidence to be replaced with fear, shame, and embarrassment. She had been terrified to tell him, dead sure he would run from her. Yet all he had done was inwardly freak out, accidentally make her cry, and blunder through an apology and telling her he wasn't going anywhere before hugging her tightly.

He remembered that dance, ditching the girls asking him to dance and instead wisking Cinderheart into a dance, much to her amusement.

* * *

_Lionblaze caught a glimpse of black hair and a silver dress standing next to his sister and quickly hurried over before seizing the person by the wrist and pulling her into a dance on the dance floor, with a sigh of relief._

"_Lionblaze?" Cinderheart's voice was highly amused, "did you really just drag me out here into a slow song to avoid other girls?"_

_Lionblaze hastened to shake his head, "well yes, but not just that," he explained quickly at the narrowing of her blue eyes. "I wanted to dance with you. Getting those other girls off my back is an added bonus on top of dancing with a beautiful girl not obsessed with me."_

_Cinderheart studied him before a moment before she rolled her eyes and Lionblaze felt her slip her arms around his neck, "and you still won't admit that you have feelings for me when you do this every dance?"_

_Lionblaze placed his hands on her waist and looked sheepish, "I don't like relationships."_

"_I know," Cinderheart sighed, "but when it gets to the point where I'm not asked out by any other guy in the school because they all assume I'm with you; you have to call it something Lionblaze."_

_Lionblaze thought about it for a few minutes, but it was hard to focus on the question with her this close to him. He really didn't know why he hadn't officially asked her out, he took her on dates, bought her stuff for Valentine's Day and Christmas, and yet couldn't call her his girlfriend. "I don't know what to call it to be honest," he decided quietly._

"_It's called being in a relationship Lionblaze, you get really jealous whenever I'm around another guy, you plan random dates to take me on, and between you and your sister I practically live at your house." Cinderheart pointed out, gently swaying with the music as it tapered off, "it's been close to a year Blaze, I've been waiting and I'll wait longer, but not forever." With that the song ended, she withdrew her arms from his neck and leaned up on her toes to press her lips to his cheek and slipped away, her lipstick leaving a faint mark on his skin. _

* * *

He also remembered sitting there for a little while and thinking, mulling over his relationship with her. Then escaping the dance with her feeling giddy and like he could do anything. Her smiling laughter; heavy breathing; her sparkling blue eyes inches from his amber ones; and holding her smaller form in his arms, watching her eyes flutter closed as she dozed off.

He also remembered her telling him with a vivid blush and near terror on her face; being pulled out of class with her; lots of shouting; her breaking down into tears; her pleading with him to not agree; words being forced from his mouth; seeing the betrayal and heartbreak in her eyes; and watching her, day in, day out. Six months, no wait, more than six months since her father forced his promise, since she hadn't looked tired or miserable every day, and more than six months since he was forced to give her only anonymous gifts.

Lionblaze could tell you how many days since he had seen Cinderheart smile at him, how long since they had been together, and how long since her belly started swelling and growing.

Lionblaze watched her as her expression pinched and a flush over took her nose and the tips of her ears. He saw his sister grasping Cinderheart's hand and speaking to her, but he couldn't hear what they were saying, even as Cinderheart nodded and took a deep breath. _What's going on?_ He murmured to himself, fighting the urge to stand up and walk over to them, worry fluttering in his heart. _Is she okay? Holly did mention that she's far enough along to have contractions and everything, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. I want to help… I have to help her…_ He hesitated again, half standing up and looking anxiously at his sister and the other kids who were partially crowding around Cinderheart now. _But my promise…_ he reluctantly sat back down, _...her father will kill me for helping her._

However, when Hollyleaf fetched their brother Jayfeather, who was sitting in the back corner of the cafeteria with his best friend Briarlight; Lionblaze knew it wasn't just some mild pain. Especially when they returned, Jayfeather did something to Cinderheart with his back to Lionblaze, likely checking something, and carefully pulled the girl up to her feet, where Lionblaze finally got to truly see her since her pain really started. Her appearance made his stomach twist with nerves.

Cinderheart's face and ears were flushed dark red with an exertion, she kept one hand on her swollen belly and looked to be breathing hard. He could faintly see the pain gleaming in her eyes and could almost see sweat beading her forehead. The group of three started leaving the cafeteria before Cinderheart turned around slightly and made eye contact with Lionblaze from across the room.

For a moment Lionblaze froze, his gaze locked on her pain filled and anxious blue eyes even as they adopted a fierce glare that made Lionblaze think twice about obeying her father's promise. Cinderheart was strong willed, usually two steps ahead of herself, but rarely did she glare, particularly at him. Her eyes were always soft when she looked at him before that promise, afterword she avoided his eyes. However, her glare right now told him that she needed him, uptil now she could handle it herself, but she needed _him_ there, and she wasn't taking a no for an answer.

Lionblaze swallowed hard, ignored the murmuring confusion around him as his team wondered who she exactly was looking at, and stood up, pushing his chair back with a screech.

This was a dangerous play for him. Everyone in the school knew about Cinderheart's pregnancy, it was hard to ignore when one of the lead gymnasists couldn't compete anymore, but nobody knew who the father was. There was plenty of speculations, but Lionblaze had silently denied the ones regarding him as part of her father's demand. So getting up right now while Cinderheart was clearly looking at him would instantly confirm most if not all the rumors that _he_ was the baby's father. Her father was so going to kill him, but right now his attention was on the red faced girl with blue eyes.

He then jogged toward the group, ignoring the now erupting whispers and likely flying rumors as the school's quarterback trotted rather nervously over to the group of three. A medic, Senior Student Council President, and an ex. gymnast. "A-are you okay?" He asked Cinderheart with a stutter, worried about her safety and how her father would react to him helping her.

In response Cinderheart flung one of his hands toward him, her breathing was harsh and strained. Her skin was flushed from the effort she was putting in and the pain she was in as well, and her blue eyes were full of pain and swimming with pain filled tears. "Just… hold.. My hand…" Cinderheart panted with her chest heaving for breath and her tears threatening to fall from her sparkling eyes.

Lionblaze quickly did as she asked, grasping her hand, "okay, I'm here for you sunshine," he called her by the one nickname he had for her, and managed to get a strained smile from her. Before she gave a pain filled moan, stopped hobbling with them toward the front office, bent over her stomach slightly, and squeezed his hand hard. It felt like his bones were shifting under her grip, but it was nothing like the pain the helplessness had brought of being unable to help her when she wanted it so badly.

Jayfeather stood behind her, resting his hands on her lower back and lightly massaging the muscles, attempting to help their good friend through the pain.

"We need to hurry," Hollyleaf murmured anxiously with a glance at her watch, "they're getting too close together for comfort." She looked over at her best friend, "Cinderheart when did you start feeling the pain?"

"Last night," Cinderheart managed to get out from between her gritted teeth and gave another moan of pain.

"You're crazy!" Holly yelped, "I know you're a deep sleeper, but you slept through contractions?"

"Only at first," Cinderheart grunted, "I only got maybe two hours of actual sleep."

Leon didn't know what to do besides let Cinderheart crush his hand, but he had to do something so he pulled a small cloth from his pocket. He then reached over to the nearest water fountain and got it wet before squeezing out some of the excess water. Before he carefully draped it around Cinderheart's neck, only to have his siblings stare at him. "What?" He said defensively, "she's sweating, the water's cold!"

Cinderheart gave a weak laugh and Lionblaze smiled as well, having severely missed hearing her gentle laugh.

* * *

"Wake up idiot," someone kicked him lightly in the ribs and Lionblaze opened his eyes, his vision blurry and mind dizzy and disorientated. His brother came into view standing next to where he was apparently on the floor. Jayfeather was still wearing medical scrubs and he was drying his hands on a clean white hand towel with a smirk on his face, blue eyes rimmed by black glasses looking smug and amused. "You passed out, just about gave Hollyleaf a heart attack."

"He did not," Hollyleaf's voice came from somewhere nearby, "I saw that coming from a mile away."

Jayfeather rolled his eyes, "whatever Hollyleaf, now get up Lionblaze, I've let you lay here on the floor for close to ten minutes. Leafpool's almost done examining your daughter so hurry up."

Daughter? It clicked for Lionblaze in a flash and he scrambled up, heaving himself upright and looking around.

Cinderheart was half reclined leaning back against the bed, exhausted blue eyes watching Leafpool. Jayfeather had switched the blankets and smoothed them out over the young mother, her black hair was sticking to her sweaty and flushed face, and she seemed to have a loosening death grip on part of the hospital bed railing.

Hollyleaf was sitting in one of the chairs provided in the room, massaging one of her hands while now giving Lionblaze the stink eye.

Lionblaze leaned over Cinderheart, fixing worried amber eyes on her. "How're you feeling?"

Cinderheart's tired eyes focused on him and she shifted positions slightly before she lightly shrugged and licked her dry lips before speaking. "Like I got ran over by a truck, what about you? You fell pretty hard." Her tone was coated with exhaustion and hinted at amusement behind the raspiness of her voice.

Lionblaze sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "I'm okay, sorry about passing out."

Cinderheart gave a tiny giggle of amusement before Leafpool approached them, a smile on her gentle face.

"Congratulations you two," she said as she held her arms out for Lionblaze to take the small child bundled in a white blanket. "Your daughter's as healthy as she could possibly be."

Lionblaze stared at the small child in his aunt's arms, his amber eyes fixed on the baby's face as the baby hiccuped a few times and grasped at the edge of her blanket with a strong grip. He didn't want to hurt her, she was so small and his hands and arms were strengthened with football.

"Can you bring her to me Lionblaze," Cinderheart asked in her raspy voice and snapped Lionblaze from his worries, "please?"

Lionblaze took a deep breath, bit his lip, and carefully took the baby from Leafpool, letting Leafpool adjust the baby's position in his arms and being as careful as he could. Before he quietly turned toward Cinderheart as Jayfeather lowered the railing Cinderheart had now released. He was very careful as he sat down in a chair and rested his arms on the bed near Cinderheart's head.

Cinderheart groaned and turned a little onto her side before sluggishly lifting one of her hands and resting her hand on the baby's blanket, blue eyes wandering over the baby's face with a soft, motherly expression.

Lionblaze swallowed the emotion welling in his throat and spoke, his voice thick. "She's beautiful, I'm sorry I agreed to what your father asked," his voice cracked, "I should've helped you."

Cinderheart reached forward and rested her arm on his forearm, leaning forward a little. "Come here Blaze."

Lionblaze did as she asked and leaned further over, only to have Cinderheart's hand slide up the the back of his neck and for her to tug him into a slightly sideways kiss.

Cinderheart then let him go and pulled back a moment later, her blue eyes tired, but content. "All that matters if you're here with me now."

Lionblaze nodded, "you and baby are the two most important people to me now, and I'll never leave. I promise," he murmured the last part while leaning forward and brushing his lips over her forehead, lingering there.

The hospital room door creaked open and everyone looked up and over at who had walked in.

Lionblaze stiffened and he hunched his shoulders protectively around the baby in his arms, amber eyes focused on the man who had yelled at him before and forced out a promise from him that made Cinderheart miserable.

Cinderheart looked at her father, her blue eyes a mix of emotions. "Dad," she said with her voice tainted with nervousness.

"Brackenfur," Lionblaze greeted, his voice nervous as well, unsure how this was going to go down.

* * *

_**This was different, but fun to do! Let me know if you enjoyed it down in the reviews below, happy reading!**_

_**~Tigercry**_


End file.
